Water fluoridation in the United States began in 1945 in Grand Rapids, Mich. The city adjusted the fluoride content of its water supply to 1.0 ppm. The city became the first city in the United States to implement community water fluoridation. Since then, the public water supply of most cities in the United States supplies fluoridated water to its population. At the same time, rates of health problems and disease have also risen, such as autism, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, calcification of the pineal gland, diabetes, depression, schizophrenia, psychotic diseases, muscular dystrophy, and others.
Fluoride is a poison. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Dietary Reference Intakes, which is the “highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects”, specify 10 mg/day for most people, corresponding to 10 L of fluoridated water with no risk. For infants and young children, the values are smaller, ranging from 0.7 mg/d for infants to 2.2 mg/d. Water and food sources of fluoride include community water fluoridation, fluoride teeth treatments, seafood, tea, and gelatin.
Fluorides are medically categorized as “protoplasmic poisons”. The Journal of the American Medical Association (Sep. 18, 1943) stated “Fluorides are general protoplasmic poisons, changing the permeability of the cell membrane by inhibiting certain enzymes. The exact mechanism of such actions are obscure.”
Soluble fluoride salts, of which sodium fluoride is the most common, are toxic, and have resulted in both accidental and self-inflicted deaths from acute poisoning. The lethal dose for most adult humans is estimated at 5 to 10 g (which is equivalent to 32 to 64 mg/kg elemental fluoride/kg body weight). A case of a fatal poisoning of an adult with 4 grams of sodium fluoride is documented, and a dose of 120 g sodium fluoride has been survived. For sodium fluorosilicate (Na2SiF6), the median lethal dose (LD50) orally in rats is 0.125 g/kg, corresponding to 12.5 g for a 100 kg adult.
The time period for causing a fatality ranges from 5 min to 12 hours. The mechanism of toxicity involves the combination of the fluoride anion with the calcium ions in the blood to form insoluble calcium fluoride, resulting in hypocalcemia. Calcium is indispensable for the function of the nervous system, and the condition of hypocalcemia, i.e. low calcium levels in the blood serum, can be fatal.
A possible relationship between fluoridated drinking water and cancer and other diseases has been debated for years. Most studies have concluded that there is no credible evidence of a link between fluoridated water and an increased risk of cancer. However these studies did not study the long term effect of fluoride ingestion. Nor did the studies evaluate the sensitivity of certain individuals to fluoride poisoning compared to the general population. The studies only examined effects on the general population.
Pineal gland calcification is known to be caused by exposure to fluoride. The human pineal gland is outside the blood brain barrier. Fluoride accumulates and calcifies in the pineal gland, thereby interfering with the normal function of the pineal gland. See Jennifer Luke, Fluoride Deposition in the Aged Human Pineal Gland, Caries Res 2991; 35: 1125-1128 (2001). The extent of pineal calcification varies between individuals, ranging from 4,600 to 37,500 mg Ca/kg wet weight. Some research has shown that 100% of multiple sclerosis patients have calcified pineal glands.